Persistent encopresis is part of a fairly specific pathologic complex including personality, and familial factors. To a very large extent, interest in encopresis issues has revolved around the mother–child relationship.

In this study, we aimed to assess the psychological profile and the counter attitudes of encopretic children's mothers.

We led a retrospective and descriptive study carrying on 91 medical records of children with encopresis, followed in the outpatient child psychiatry department of the Hédi Chaker university hospital of Sfax over a period of seven years, going from January 1st, 2000 till December 31st, 2006.

In our study, emotional deprivation was noted in 62.2% of cases. Besides, repeated separations from mothers were noted in 26.4% of cases with 2.2% cases of prolonged separations. Our study also revealed that 19.8% of mothers have obsessive personality traits while 14% have rather anxious traits. Furthermore, 6.6% of encopretic children's mothers were found to have anxio-depressive spectrum disorders according to the DSM-IV-TR. Mothers’ intolerance towards encopresis was estimated at 53.3%. This intolerance was mainly reflected in physical punishment, depreciation, blame and humiliation. Toilet training was rigid in more than half of cases (62.2%).

Childhood encopresis can be viewed as a result of a maternal-child conflict. In fact, the mother–child relationship appears to be directly involved in the genesis of encopresis. Nevertheless, the role of the own child neurodevelopmental state in response to the family system should not be ignored.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.